The Next Crisis: Chapter Four:
Relief

by Rufus Shinra
Edited by S. Park


It was about a day after the Terre disaster. Everyone in Terre was killed well that’s what the press report said. Junon was a huge oceanside city. The signs of Shin-Ra, Incorparated were taken down and everything was almost changed. The polluted lower Junon was completly restored from what was it’s ill state back in the day.

A huge metallic plate covered the lower land of the city. The sidewalks were full of people going about their business. A kid was running around with his kite in an alley. Shopowners begging for business, and sea gulls resting on the ledge that was close to the ocean. Cloud walked with his head down into the Junon branch with a grey trench coat and black boots. He walked up and turned the metal knob of the huge door. He looked up and saw the main offices which had computers, blue tiles, and a large water fountain which was a tall grey and marble statue of an angel. Cloud looked at the angel fountain with his lips closed and eyes focused on the face of the statue.

"Your like this to me, now." Cloud thought as he looked carefully at the statue.

"All this stuff happening all at once. Seems like we have to fight again. Why?

I can’t take this anymore. I should just-"

"Why are you looking at that?" Tifa asked as she walked into the Junon branch.

"........."

".....I am sorry-" Cloud said in a mournful tone. Cloud sat on the rim of the fountain with his hands covering his ears. He looked down ad closed his eyes his mouth closed. He looked at Tifa into her two brown eyes.

"I can’t take it." Cloud said.

"Just be strong." Tifa said as she put her arms over Cloud.

Tifa looked at Cloud leered a smile. Then a man walked in front of them. A man with a blue suit, a handsome face and black hair looked at them. He stood there as if he were a statue.

"Hey, you two. Were starting- Oh." Reeve stopped and walked towards a hallway that was right of Junon Branch’s enterance. Meanwhile, Cloud and Tifa sat on the fountain.

"She gave us hope. Didn’t you say that yourself?" Tifa said.

"It’s just that I have that gut feeling. It keeps on haunting, but Aeris tells me to forget.

" How can I?" Cloud said ."Just take your time, man." Tifa said as she stood up.

"Sorry for this. We gotta hurry up." Reeve said.

Cloud and Tifa walked and followed Reeve to the press room filled with the few press organizations: The Junon daily, Junon Chornicle , International News, and TUNA International TV Networks, Inc. People in suits, cameras were sitting in the chair as Cloud, Tifa, and Reeve walked towards the blue podium were Barett, Marleene, and the presidental cabinnet stood.

"As you know, Terre. It was completely destroyed. A search team has been assembled to find any survivors of this genocidal act, but unfortunatly our search efforts seem to be inconclusive. This senseless act of violence has occured and currently our military divison is on active duty." President Wallace said.

Then Reeve walked up the stairs as Cloud and Tifa sat on metal chairso n hte side wall of the huge press room. He stood htere with his face straight as a rock. His hands tremebled as he picked hte paper on the podium. Reeve looked and began to look up at the press and the ‘Ex-SOLDIER’. Cloud looked down and was in deep thought with his eyes closed and breathing heavily.

"Take time. Take my time. What if we don’t have enough time? We probably only have day. No." Cloud Strife said to himself. Meanwhile Reeve began to announce the statistics.

"About 5.2 billion gill of damage." Reeve said.

"(Who cares about the money)" Cloud thought

"1,426,300 People killed"

"(No, all those people.)"

"About 5,000 square meters destroyed."

"(I should just not think about it.)"

"And we weren’t even- completed."

" (...................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)" Cloud thought as his mind and heart couldn’t bear it. Tortured inside and his face red, Cloud ‘s teeth grinded and a screech came from Cloud’s mouth.

Reeve has completed his report on the Terre disastar as Cloud went up and walked away from Tifa with his fists closed and eye brows raised up in fury. He hastly walked with his shoes tapping on the hardwood floor. Tifa looked at Cloud. She slowly turned her head away, and closed her eyes her eyelashes were bottom of the eyes. Her heart was burning in pain as Cloud walked outside. The vicious press and cameras turned swifly back as Cloud walked slowly towards the exit of the press room in disguist.

"Man, Cloud. Why do you keep on tormenting yourself?" Tifa thought

"Mr. Strife! Mr. Strife!" yelled the reporters.

"No comment." Cloud mummbled in a low pitched voice.

"Was it chao-" one of the reporters asked.

One reporter who was wearing a blue hat and a matching blazer stuck his tape recorder.

"Any, Mr.-" the reporter was interuppted as Cloud slapped his the reporter’s gloved hand. The recorder fell on the floor and the casette broke out of the player. Strife had so many thoughts in his head not knowing what to do. All these things happening to him seeing someone he loved died, and abruptness of the events that happened only a few days ago. He walked back to fountian and looked up. Tifa, as usaul, followed Cloud Strife as he looked up the statue with his eyebrows raised. His fist shaked, and his heart pounded like a hammer hitting a cinder block.

"If Rufus comes I’ll kill him! To hell with him! Forcing me to see that sick and twisted act!!!

Torementing me! " Cloud yelled and everyone in the Junon branch heard even the janitors working upstairs on the outside washing the windows with black rags and squegees.

"I’ve found I have to fight. To stop this pain. Take the right path." Cloud said.

Tifa looked at him and wlaked slowly to her. Her hand rested on his shoulder as Cloud looked up with his face a red tone, and mouth closed.

"I finally understand........." Cloud said.

"I finally understand why we fight. To reach our goal. To protect what we love. To stop the pain."

"Protect what?" Tifa asked.

"........Us. So I will fight." Cloud said.

"So that’s what she is saying to me." Cloud said as he clsoded his eyes.

"We’ll be ready." Tifa said.

"I will not let him take all that I have and love. I curse him." Cloud thought.

The mob of press people ran towards the crowd like a swarm the surrounded the lobby a Barett and reeve walked through the medium size crowd which was full of suits, camereas, notepads and rececorders. Barett and Reeve went towards Cloud and Tifa who were at the center of the mob of press in the fountain. They were still in their blazers. Wallace’s huge boots were the things only seen through the mist of press that smuggled the two.

"Cloud? Any opinions?" asked a male reporter from the Junon Chornicle.

"No." Tifa said.

"Cloud?!" almost every one of the reporters asked.

"About you Miss?" another mob of reporters asked.

"You all want to know everything?! Why don’t you just leave us alone!" Tifa yelled in front of the reporters face as Cloud and Tifa slowly trekked towards the exit of Junon branch. They both walked outside the rectangular Junon Branch which was a 3 story building with brick walls, two windows on each side, and large central window protruding from the front. Cloud’s head looked up and his face was droopping with some sweat from from his forehead.

"This fight is for everyone. I am prepared." Cloud said.

"Fight for my sanity. Fight to free myself from my inner deamons." Cloud continued.

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